Enterprise architects evaluate technologies currently used by an enterprise and technologies potentially used by the enterprise. Such an evaluation may produce an approved technology list that specifies which technologies offer the best value for the enterprise in terms of purchasing and maintaining technology. Despite the production of an approved technology list, a project manager may approve a proposed project that uses a technology that is not on the approved technology list. A project may be a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. Implementing a technology that is an exception to the approved technology list may result in architectural impacts throughout the enterprise.
Evaluating architectural impacts may be a lengthy and difficult process. For example, employees in each of the numerous areas, or subdivisions, in the enterprise may hold their own meeting to evaluate architectural impacts. In these numerous meetings, the employees may evaluate architectural impacts in their own area without any information about how the project may impact other areas in the enterprise. The significant time that would be required to determine such information may constitute a waste of time for the many employees of areas not impacted by the project. Enterprise architects may make project decisions based on architectural impacts. However, project managers would have to lobby to overturn project decisions made by enterprise architects because the enterprise architects often fail to take all project considerations into account.
In large enterprises, the number of installed hardware and software technologies can easily number in the tens of thousands. The operational complexity of managing large portfolios of hardware and software drives significant operating expense and leads to lowered operational performance of the systems utilizing the technology.